Your cell phone may use UMTS technology.
UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telephone System, a technology designed to expand mobile telephone service to isolated areas of the world. The UMTS mobile system adheres to the International Telecommunication Union's current standards for mobile technology.
Origin
The International Telecommunication Union, an agency of the United Nations, sets the standards for global communication systems. UMTS was developed within the IMT-2000 framework, an international mobile communication system adopted in 2000.
Services
UMTS provides a broad variety of network services including voice and video telephone, video gaming, Internet streaming, web browsing, database use, Internet downloads and e-mail. The system includes a virtual home environment, allowing users to access personalized features from any location.
Coverage
UMTS coverage uses a combination of land-based and satellite-based stations. The system was designed to be compatible with existing GSM networks, the Global System for Mobile communications used worldwide.
Security
UMTS improves on the security functions of the GSM networks by requiring mutual authentication from its base stations, extending its encryption functions and protecting stored data.
Advantages
The UMTS system provides better speech quality than previous systems, along with expanded data and information capabilities. It supports faster data transfer rates and a consistent user environment.
Tags: International Telecommunication, International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunication Union
